Insecure attachment and psychosomatic skin disease
Pasquini, M.; Bitetti, D.; Decaminada, F.; Pasquini, P.
Annali Dell'istituto Superiore di Sanita 33(4): 605-608
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-2571 PMID: 9616971 Document Number: 469703
Alexithymia is not infrequent among psychosomatic patients. The incapacity to decode one's own emotional experience implies an exacerbation of the physiological response through a recursive loop. If this vicious circle is maintained it can increase the risk of psychosomatic diseases which could be in this way regarded as functions of external meaningful events mediated by the central nervous system. The meaning varies from one individual to another and depends on his cognitive-emotional organisation. In order to study such an organisation, it can be useful to classify his mental state regarding his attachment. The authors, who previously observed an association between psychosomatic skin disease and the "non-free" mental state with regard to attachment, suggest that further studies on psychosomatic patients should be conducted applying the principles and methods of the attachment theory.